Peg board game having player piece dislodging means

ABSTRACT

An action game toy of the peg board type, embodying a new, improved, and simplified working mechanism within its internal construction, that offers the immediate and complete selection of displacing any given player piece, independent of its particular position upon the board and dependent only upon the skill used in exercising the realistic judgement of distance and aim. Fully mechanical in nature said action is accomplished by directing the energy of a single spring to any selected area of the playing board, through means of a horizontally and vertically moveable part controllably held and variously positioned by the interaction of two mated disks. These disks to accomplish their purpose have dissimilar and specifically shaped slots, the interaction of which positively positions a striking part in its relationship to both the playing board and an index provided for the use of each player.

[ May 20, 1975 Primary Examiner-Richard C. Pinkham Assistant Examiner-Harry G. Strappello [57] ABSTRACT An action game toy of the peg board type, embodying a new, improved, and simplified working mechanism within its internal construction, that offers the immediate and complete selection. of displacing any given player piece, independent of its particular position upon the board and dependent only upon the skill used in exercising the realistic judgement of distance and aim. Fully mechanical in nature said action is accomplished by directing the energy of a single spring to any selected area of the playing board, through means of a horizontally and vertically moveable part controllably held and variously positioned by the in- A63f 3/00 130 R, 130 D,

273/131 BB; 273/136 C Int. Cl.

273/95 G, 131 BB, 136 R, 136 C, 136 E,

ATENTS PIECE DISLODGING MEANS Leo J. Pritulsky, RD. 1,. Coopersburg, Pa.

Oct. 1, 1973 Appl. No.: 402,121

Field of Search..........

References Cited UNITED STATES P United States Patent Pritulsky PEG BOARD GAME HAVING PLAYER [76] Inventor:

[22] Filed:

[52] U.S.Cl.....

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As may be'readily seen this also allows for the removal of any sight obstructing barrier so frequently associated with such games, makes available toboth players the full surface of the game board for their common use, increases the effect of skill and produces a corresponding decrease in the amount of luck determining the outcome of play, permits the players under the various rules applying to such games an opportunity to use the more real like skills of maneuvering, distance judgement, and aim in attempting to best an opponent.

The common use of a single expelling mechanism to be used by both players allows for a minimum of working parts and further provides that mistakes in judgement or accuracy will frequently penalize a player by the removal of his own piece rather than that of his opponent.

Drawings submitted here reveal a game toy of basically wood and hard board construction; however, any suitable and durable material may be substituted.

Drawings submitted here also reveal a rectangular outer unit construction as chosen to visually portray the invention. This is but one shape found suitable, and indeed it should be noted that a circular outer unit construction would permit a full 100 percent of the playing board surface to be affected by the internal mechamsm.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the game toy completely assembled,

FIG. 2 is a similar perspective view of the mated position controlling disks and striker only, FIG. 3 is a similar perspective view of the lower controlling disk and hangers mounted beneath it, FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 1 and limited to showing the position controlling group and its supporting parts,

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 1 and reveals the complete internal mechanism,

FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating the basic outer unit construction.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION As shown in FIGS. 1 through 6, this combination game toy consists of a peg board playing surface 1 suitably mapped and secured by tongue and groove mounting to front framing pieces 2 and side framing pieces 3. These framing pieces having an additional groove 90 from the first are also mated to front panels 4 and side panels 5. A box like structure stable in nature is completed with identical tongue and groove fitting of additional framing pieces 6, 7, 8, and bottom panel 9. All aforegoing are tightly fit together and although capable of separation require some effort to do so.

Prior to the assembly of the above basic outer unit, base block 10, spring tension control block 11, and a flat steel band spring 12 are fastened to bottom panel 9 by means of two pegs l3 driven through predrilled holes in all affected parts and force fitting through band spring 12.

Base block 10 having a loose fitting hole is able to receive the lower portion of center post 14 and positions same while supported atop bottom panel 9. Center post 14 after passing through clearance hole provided in band spring 12, has a loosely fit weight 20 dropped over it and secures same in position. Center post 14 having a smaller diameter some distance above weight 20 of fers a supporting shoulder to a forcefit lower control disk 16, and this disk 16 in turn supports upper control disk 17. Attached to disk 16 and passing freely through disk 17 and playing surface 1 is a washer 18 forcefit to center post 14, and thereby secured via center post 14 to lower control disk 16.

Washer 18 clears the top of playing surface 1 and there supports an aiming disk 19 secured tightly to both center post 14 and washer 18 by a screw 15; allowing an arrow indicator atop aiming disk 19 to display the relationship of lower control disk 16 to playing surface 1, as parts 14 through 19 now turn in unison excepting for upper control disk 17. This upper control disk 17, loosely fit about washer 18, in addition to normally turning with the above is also free to turn individually.

Aiming disk 19 overlapping the hole provided for washer 18 in playing surface 1 when secured by screw 15 locks all of parts 14 through 19in place with topsurface 1, while still allowing all to easily turn about their common axis.

Lower control disk 16 by means of split rivets 21 and hangers 22 and 23 has supported beneath it a horizontal transfer arm 24, hinged on the end opposite the slot in lower control disk 16 by a pin 25. This transfer arm 24 is supported with clearance above weight 20 by pin 26 located beneath horizontal transfer arm 24 and allowing this end to raise up.

Atop transfer arm 24 loosely fitted through the intersection of the differing slots in controling disk 16 and 17 is a striker part 27, which despite its at both ends having a greater dimension than the width of the slots provided in control disks 16 and 17 does fit into same, when individually each slot is forced open by lifting one side up while pressing the opposite side downward. Once so mounted the center area of striker 27, being somewhat smaller in diameter than the width of each slot is held securely in place, but able to freely travel both up and down and along with changes in the position of the intersecting slots, and in direct relationship to an index marked upon the edge of upper control disk 17 as read by a marker provided on lower control disk 16.

Striker 27, when lower control disk 16 is held and upper control disk 17 is rotated, is forced to change its distance from the center of control disk 16, providing a distance from center setting held in line with aiming arrow drawn upon aiming disk 19. Note that the outer unit construction permits indexing to be read from either side of the game toy, by allowing the indexed area to pass through openings provided in front panels 4 and front frames 2.

Hand operated control wheels 28, arrow marked to indicate the direction of turning, and fitted with forcefit pegs 29 for appearance, gripping, and fastening to commonly used shaft 30 are placed outside of the basic unit structure one for each of the two players, and across the board from each other. Each of these handwheels 28 transfers movement provided by the players causing triggering wheel 31, also fitted with pegs 29 securing it to shaft 30, to impart energy into band spring 12.

In operation band spring 17 upon coming free of the triggering pegs 29, causes weight 20 to by inertia move upward striking horizontal transfer arm 24.'Striker 27 sitting just above transfer arm 24 is then forced upward to impact the underside of playing board 1. All moving parts afterwards return by gravity to an in rest and clearance providing position. Striker 27 having a larger diameter than the peg boardholes in playing surface 1 never enters these holes and audibly hits upon the underside of playing surface 1.

The specific point of impact is chosen by aligning the index upon upper control disk 16 to the indicator mark on lower control disk 17. This setting having a direct relationship to the distance outward from the center point of aiming disk 19 to the striker 27 provides an accurate means of remotely setting said distance. Controlling disks 16 and 17 when next moved in unison allows for an omni-directional setting of any chosen distance; affording the system an ability to remotely and intentionally choose any specific spot beneath playing surface 1 and above upper control disk 17, and there impact upon it.

To provide a striking surface player pieces planes 32, tanks 33, ships 34, and moveable cities 35, all featuring a common substructure incorporating an extension reaching fully through the thickness of playing surface 1 and able to be struck by the top surface of striker 27 are used with this game toy.

The impact of striker 27 is such that the selected player piece when hit is suddenly expelled from its position. Player pieces are constructed very light in weight to quickly loose velocity and are easily adjusted by means still to be described into lifting but a few inches above the playing board surface.

As examples of the more versatile use that this system allows in the variations of playing such peg board games; rules could provide each players in turn vastly changing the conditions upon the board by moving all of a given type playing piece, for example, all land vehicles in any direction, following which he would be entitled to attempt to expel from the game any opposing targets brought into a set distance by such moves.

Player pieces of each type might also be allowed various degrees of both maneuverability and expelling range, for example, air vehicles might move and or attempt to expel across a distance of three spaces in any direction.

Stationary cities able to be placed as desired and safe until brought within range by the approach of an opponents maneuvering piece is also considered.

An unusual game situation offered by the combination of a peg board with this different and more versatile expelling mechanism is the challenge frequently created by land and sea vehicles opposing each other while each is restricted to its own environment.

Although not intended as a checker board type jump game a variation of these rules does provide the interesting adaptation of such a collision expelling both playing pieces without resulting in a tie game, and further allows the use of the unaffected corners of a rectangular outer construction choice.

As revealed here as a preferred example, this game toy is fully self-locking and could be made permanently so with glued construction at but a few contact points; can easily be made more or less accurate regarding the specific point of impact through changes in the diameter of the upper section of striker 27 or the length of aiming arrow drawn atop aiming disk 19; has a wide range of spring force adjustability by varying the length of spring tension control block 11 supporting band spring 12, or the length of pegs 29 protruding from triggering wheel 31.

The versatility of this omni-directional internal mechanism also provides for a unit the top playing surface of which is easily changeable. A thin identically perforated but differently drawn replacement playing surface when layed atop the original playing surface with a suitable hole provided for the aiming disk 19, is held in place by units framing and there is fully compatible to the action of the internal working mechanism so long as the substructure of player pieces is not raised completely above the underside of the original playing surface.

1 claim: 1. An amusement game toy comprising: a base; a playing board having peripheral edges horizontally mounted upon said base, said playing board having a plurality of holes formed therethrough; at least one playing piece having a pegged means depending therefrom for removably mounting said playing piece within a selected one of said holes; a striker means mounted for limited vertical movement beneath said playing board for impacting said pegged means to thereby dislodge the playing piece from a selected one of said holes in the playing board: an operator controlled spring means located beneath said striker means for operatively effecting the upward movement of the striker means; and a positioning means for selectively moving said striker means horizontally beneath the playing board comprising two horizontally rotatable control disks horizontally disposed beneath the playing board and mounted in alignment one above the other, each control disk being capable of rotation independent of the other control disk, and each of the control disks having substantially the same area as the playing board, each of the control disks further having groove means formed therein for effecting the selective horizontal movement of said striker means, the groove means on one control disk facing the groove means on the other control disk, the groove means formed on each control disk each receiving a portion of said striker means whereby selective rotation of the control disks by the game players will remotely position the striker means beneath at least one playing piece. 2. The amusement game toy according to claim 1 wherein a portion of the peripheral edges of said control disks extend beyond a portion of said peripheral edges of the playing board, and wherein there is provided on the control disks an indexing means for remotely selecting the horizontal position of said striker means, the indexing means comprising indexmarkings disposed on the peripheral edge of each control disk.

3. An amusement game toy comprising: a base:

a playing surface having at least one hole formed therethrough and being horizontally mounted upon said base;

spring means mounted on said base beneath said playing surface;

operator controlled means located beneath said playing surface for activating said spring means;

means beneath said playing surface for striking said playing surface;

means for selectively positioning said striking means at various locations beneath said playing surface, said at least one hole being substantially vertically aligned with at least one of said locations; and

means for transferring the motion of said spring means to said striking means.

4. An amusement game toy comprising:

a base;

a playing surface having at least one hole formed therethrough and being horizontally mounted upon said base;

a band spring horizontally mounted on said base beneath said playing surface;

operator controlled means located beneath said playing surface for vertically activating said band spring;

means beneath said playing surface for striking said playing surface;

means for selectively positioning said striking means at various locations beneath said playing surface, said at least one hole being substantially vertically aligned with at least one of said locations; and

means for transferring the vertical motion of said band spring to said striking means.

5. An amusement game toy comprising:

a base;

a playing surface having holes framed therethrough for receiving pegged playing pieces and having peripheral edges attached to said base by means of vertical support members;

a horizontal band spring having a hole therein, said band spring attached to said base so as to position said hole in the center of said base;

a vertical member positioned so as to pass through said hole in said band spring and to rest on said 6 base;

means connected to said base for restricting the horizontal movement of said vertical member;

a first control disk having its center fixedly attached to said vertical member and containing a radially positioned rectangular slot;

a second control disk positioned on top of said first control disk, having said vertical member passing through the center thereof. and containing a voluted slot;

a horizontal transfer arm connected to the underside of said first control disk;

a striker means resting on said transfer arm and extending through said rectangular slot and said voluted slot;

a cylinder positioned around said vertical member under said transfer arm and resting on said band spring for transferring the vertical force of said band spring to said transfer arm when said band spring is actuated; and

operator controlled means for actuating said band spring.

6. The amusement game toy of claim 5 further com prising:

a plurality of pegged playing pieces adapted to fit into said holes in said playing surface so as to be dislodged from said holes when struck by said striker means.

7. The amusement game toy according to claim 5 wherein said first and said second control disks contain indicia descriptive of the position of said striker means with respect to said playing surface.

8. The amusement game toy of claim 5 further comprising:

at least one template containing holes therethrough, said template being individually positionable on said playing surface so as to register with said holes in said playing surface and to permit the insertion of pegged playing pieces through both said template and said playing surface, and to further permit said playing pieces to be readily dislodged from both said template and said playing surface when struck by said striker means.

* =l= l l 

1. An amusement game toy comprising: a base; a playing board having peripheral edges horizontally mounted upon said base, said playing board having a plurality of holes formed therethrough; at least one playing piece having a pegged means depending therefrom for removably mounting said playing piece within a selected one of said holes; a striker means mounted for limited vertical movement beneath said playing board for impacting said pegged means to thereby dislodge the playing piece from a selected one of said holes in the playing board; an operator controlled spring means located beneath said striker means for operatively effecting the upward movement of the striker means; and a positioning means for selectively moving said striker means horizontally beneath the playing board comprising two horizontally rotatable control disks horizontally disposed beneath the playing board and mounted in alignment one above the other, each control disk being capable of rotation independent of the other control disk, and each of the control disks having substantially the same area as the playing board, each of the control disks further having groove means formed therein for effecting the selective horizontal movement of said striker means, the groove means on one control disk facing the groove means on the other control disk, the groove means formed on each control disk each receiving a portion of said striker means whereby selective rotation of the control disks by the beneath players will remotely position the striker means benath at least one playing piece.
 2. The amusement game toy according to claim 1 wherein a portion of the peripheral edges of said control disks extend beyond a portion of said peripheral edges of the playing board, and wherein there is provided on the control disks an indexing means for remotely selecting the horizontal position of said striker means, the indexing means comprising index markings disposed on the peripheral edge of each control disk.
 3. An amusement game toy comprising: a base; a playing surface having at least one hole formed therethrough and being horizontally mounted upon said base; spring means mounted on said base beneath said playing surface; operator controlled means located beneath said playing surface for activating said spring means; means beneath said playing surface for striking said playing surface; means for selectively positioning said striking means at various locations beneath said playing surface, said at least one hole being substantially vertically aligned with at least one of said locations; and means for transferring the motion of said spring means to said striking means.
 4. An amusement game toy comprising: a base; a playing surface having at least one hole formed therethrough and being horizontally mounted upon said base; a band spring horizontally mounted on said base beneath said playing surface; operator controlled means located beneath said playing surface for vertically activating said band spring; means beneath said playing surface for striking said playing surface; means for selectively positioning said striking means at various locations beneath said playing surface, said at least one hole being substantially vertically aligned with at least one of said locations; and means for transferring the vertical motion of said band sprinG to said striking means.
 5. An amusement game toy comprising: a base; a playing surface having holes framed therethrough for receiving pegged playing pieces and having peripheral edges attached to said base by means of vertical support members; a horizontal band spring having a hole therein, said band spring attached to said base so as to position said hole in the center of said base; a vertical member positioned so as to pass through said hole in said band spring and to rest on said base; means connected to said base for restricting the horizontal movement of said vertical member; a first control disk having its center fixedly attached to said vertical member and containing a radially positioned rectangular slot; a second control disk positioned on top of said first control disk, having said vertical member passing through the center thereof, and containing a voluted slot; a horizontal transfer arm connected to the underside of said first control disk; a striker means resting on said transfer arm and extending through said rectangular slot and said voluted slot; a cylinder positioned around said vertical member under said transfer arm and resting on said band spring for transferring the vertical force of said band spring to said transfer arm when said band spring is actuated; and operator controlled means for actuating said band spring.
 6. The amusement game toy of claim 5 further comprising: a plurality of pegged playing pieces adapted to fit into said holes in said playing surface so as to be dislodged from said holes when struck by said striker means.
 7. The amusement game toy according to claim 5 wherein said first and said second control disks contain indicia descriptive of the position of said striker means with respect to said playing surface.
 8. The amusement game toy of claim 5 further comprising: at least one template containing holes therethrough, said template being individually positionable on said playing surface so as to register with said holes in said playing surface and to permit the insertion of pegged playing pieces through both said template and said playing surface, and to further permit said playing pieces to be readily dislodged from both said template and said playing surface when struck by said striker means. 